Avianca Cargo has secured Good Distribution Practice (GDP) Pharma certification for its operations in Madrid and Barcelona, strengthening its capabilities in pharmaceutical and healthcare cargo across Europe.
The certification, issued by independent certification body SGS and based on World Health Organization guidelines, verifies that Avianca Cargo meets requirements for the handling, storage, distribution and transportation of pharmaceutical products while maintaining their quality and integrity throughout the supply chain.
The certification makes Avianca Cargo the first airline in the Americas to obtain GDP Pharma certification for pharmaceutical handling across its European network. The accreditation complements the carrier’s existing IATA CEIV Pharma certification and supports its strategy to expand specialised pharmaceutical transport services.
Madrid and Barcelona serve as important hubs for consolidating pharmaceutical shipments from across Europe. The certification is expected to strengthen Avianca Cargo’s ability to provide controlled and traceable logistics solutions for temperature-sensitive healthcare products.
Avianca Cargo said its teams completed the certification process in approximately six months, compared with the roughly 12 months typically required for this type of audit.
Diogo Elias, CEO of Avianca Cargo, said the certification marks another step in strengthening the carrier’s specialised pharmaceutical transport services and complements its IATA CEIV Pharma accreditation.
The airline and Gollog, the logistics arm associated with the Abra Group, are also planning to expand GDP Pharma-certified operations. Strategic stations in London, Paris and Lisbon are targeted for certification by 2027, which would further extend the carrier’s certified pharmaceutical logistics network.